Tambu actually has some good bartenders, they just have to follow "marching orders" from the food & beverage folks and rarely are allowed to improvise. They also have to service both restaurants as well as the bar, so it can get busy. That being said, I've been impressed with some of the recent offerings on the "standard" bar menu that's available across property. Disney seems to be putting a bit of thought into it. Give the Pineapple Caipirinha or Smoked Turkey a shot.

Good to hear that they're still making some semblance of a Zombie, and are actually using bitters. It was on the last full-blown Tambu menu, along with the Scorpion and a few others. I seem to recall it being decent but nothing special. But now most bars are limited to just a couple unique drinks (at Tambu it's the Lapu Lapu and Backscratcher) on the menu. The bartenders who've been there awhile can also still make a pretty decent Scorpion. All the drinks are definitely "Disney-fied" (aka dumbed-down for the masses), but typically have some relation to the original. The Backscratcher is their version of the Tropical Itch (Hawaiian Village version), which also featured bourbon and the backscratcher (see Beachbum Berry's Remixed, page 163).

Of course, Trader Sam's would be a welcome addition. I'm trying to get independent confirmation that it's coming, but no luck yet.

Haha, my bartender buddy at the WDW resorts went off on how awful the Smoked Turkey is from the moment it was being created and added to the universal resorts menu, complete with Monin smoke syrup. I guess everybody certainly has their own tastes and preferences, but it was a shared opinion with a lot of the higher grade 'tenders.
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Re the Smoked Turkey: I had that drink at the Crew's Cup at the Yacht Club, sitting next to a wall of raw meat, so it seemed to be appropriate at the time. But I still rather liked the combination of Wild Turkey 101 and Red Stag Black Cherry bourbons. If it lasts, I'll have to try it again to make sure my taste buds weren't deceiving me.

When I visited Trader Sam's in Anaheim I found that their drinks had been customized by their consultants to be unique for Disney. The same would likely be true if Sam's is built in Orlando. Over the course of a long evening I spoke to a couple of their very friendly bartenders and my impression was that the emphasis was on entertainment and enjoyment versus recipe authenticity. They do sell some very fun mugs, though, and I added a couple to my collection.

I'm going to have to look up their drink menu online later - I think someone posted some scans a while back.

If you want a true "Disney Tiki" experience at Tambu, ask for Walter, and order something off the Menu. The 'Seven Seas' is an Old Time disney drink from the first days of the Poly. It's an original, and has a decent balance. He will also make a version of the Zombie, Navy Grog, Scorpion, Classic Mai Tai, or Fogcutter. And of course the Backscratcher is pretty true.

The drinks that exist in California will be available in Florida, made correctly or at least as per its current recipes. Some of the current drinks might not be 100% the same as the originals, but I don't believe they're far off in any ridiculous sense. Their mai tai is a mai tai. Some of the current crew are very insistent that any new drinks are not to be the sugary messes of old Disneyland and pay correct homage to the tiki and mixology culture.
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Piratiki, I totally agree about Walter. I've unfortunately missed him on most of my recent visits, but I look for him every time I'm there. In November 2012, he celebrated 25 years with Disney, so I'm sure he gets the choice hours nowadays.

Disney posted some information on their web site today about the Poly remodel and the new Trader Sam's. Apparently they are reverting the name of the resort back to Disney Polynesian Village Resort. Also the Sam's in Orlando will be called Trader Sam's Grog Grotto.

I've read the words "It will be a family-oriented location." from another article. Hope that doesn't mean children running around at night, yeesh. =\
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On 2014-05-02 08:25, kkocka wrote:I've read the words "It will be a family-oriented location." from another article. Hope that doesn't mean children running around at night, yeesh. =

I don't go terribly often to the Anaheim Trader Sam's, but during the day children inside the bar portion isn't uncommon. Personally I was happy to see a family sitting having a meal inside Sam's. The look in the kids eyes at all the details and during the interactive drink event moments, such as the Shipwreck on the Rocks, was priceless. I was happey knowing those kids could grow up having a very positive attitude towards Tiki bars in general, and possibly becoming the next generation of people keeping the Tiki spirit alive.

Those who go at night to Sam's might comment on the atmosphere at those hours